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NewsDay

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Fake money con-artist numbers swell

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Several small-scale business operators and vendors are falling victim to criminals who are buying goods using fake money.

Several small-scale business operators and vendors are falling victim to criminals who are buying goods using fake money.

BY SILENCE CHARUMBIRA

Police yesterday said although awareness had reduced cases of fake money in huge establishments like banks and supermarkets, there was an increase in the number of SMEs being duped of their money because of non-use of fake money detectors.

Harare police spokesperson Inspector Memory Pamire yesterday warned small business operators to be on the guard against the conmen who were on the prowl in the city.

This came after a Newlands vendor identified as Prosper was on Monday duped by two men driving a silver Toyota Altezza.

The vendor told NewsDay that he was approached by the two men who indicated they wanted to buy a belt.

“They said they had $10 instead of the $15 I had charged them. They gave me a $100 note and I gave them the belt and $90 change,” Prosper said.

“They then made a U-turn on the transaction and demanded their money back which I gave them. While I waited for them to give me back the belt, one of them then handed me a different note.”

Added Prosper: “I then shouted so that maybe some motorists could block them on realisation they had given me a fake note. Some tried to give chase, but failed to catch up with them and only managed to record the registration number of the car, which is ABK5610.”

People using a similar car were said to have duped a mobile money transfer agent at a supermarket in Eastlea on the same day.

Inspector Pamire said police were investigating the Newlands case.

“Their modus operandi is that they use large denominations of money and buy goods for a total of mostly $15. The vendor or business operator, because he or she does not have a detector and is heeding the hurried nature in which the transaction is being done, loses the money and the goods,” Pamire said.

“We urge small business operators to take their time to check the notes and purchase detectors to make sure they do not lose their money.

Supermarkets, banks and other bigger establishments now have detectors, so these people are now targeting vendors and other small businesses.”

She said when approaching mobile money transfer agents, the conmen lie that their mobile phone will be off and the agent is asked to use their personal phone or that of someone close by for the transaction so that they cannot be traced.

Con artists are on the increase in the country due to the rising unemployment and the liquidity crunch.